For individuals aged 1 to 15 years
What is child and teenage circumcision?
Circumcision is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of the foreskin, which is the fold of skin that covers the head of the penis. It is a practice that has been performed for thousands of years and holds cultural, religious, and medical significance in various parts of the world.
In many cultures, circumcision is performed during infancy or childhood for religious or cultural reasons. However, some individuals may choose to undergo circumcision during their teenage years for various reasons, such as personal or medical preferences.
Child and teenage circumcision
Medical reasons for child and teenage circumcision
- Medical Conditions: Circumcision might be recommended in cases where a medical condition, such as recurrent infections of the foreskin (balanitis) or urinary tract infections, cannot be adequately treated with non-surgical methods.
- Phimosis: This is a condition in which the foreskin is too tight to be pulled back over the head of the penis, leading to discomfort or difficulty in maintaining proper hygiene. In severe cases, circumcision may be the most effective treatment option.
- Balanitis Xerotica Obliterans (BXO): Also known as lichen sclerosis, this condition can cause white patches, scarring, and constriction of the foreskin, making circumcision a potential treatment option.
- Other medical conditions: In certain cases, circumcision may be recommended for the treatment or prevention of specific medical conditions related to the penis or foreskin.
It’s essential to consider that circumcision is a personal decision, and individuals should be adequately informed about the procedure, its benefits, and potential risks before making a choice.
Child and teenage circumcision
What methods do we offer?
Each method of circumcision has its own advantages and disadvantages. At Circumcision Vasectomy Australia we prefer the Shang Ring method.
The reason for this is that it has a shorter operative time, lower intraoperative pain score, higher satisfaction with penile appearance, less intraoperative blood loss, lower adverse event rate and a lower wound bleeding rate.
- Shang Ring Method: This method is suitable for males over 4 years of age. It has the lowest risk of complications, produces the best cosmetic outcome and is completed in 10 minutes.
- Stitches Method: This is the conventional method of circumcision for males of all ages. While recovery is faster than the Shang Ring method, it has a higher risk of complications and the procedure is completed in 15-20 minutes.
Child and teenage circumcision
Shang Ring method
This method involves placing a plastic device called a Shang Ring around the foreskin. The ring is then tightened to cut off blood flow to the foreskin. The foreskin is then removed and the male returns in 1 week to have the Shang Ring removed.
- For males greater than 4 years.
- Lowest risk of complications.
- Completed in 10 minutes.
- Best cosmetic outcomes
Child and teenage circumcision
Stitches method
- The conventional method.
- For males of all ages.
- Highest risk of complications.
- Completed in 15-20 minutes.
- Faster recovery than Shang Ring.
Child and Teenage Circumcision
What are the risks?
Bleeding:
- It is normal to experience some droplets of blood in the first 24 hours after the procedure, but excessive bleeding can be a complication.
- The Shang Ring method has the lowest risk of postoperative bleeding. It occurs at a rate of less than 1%.
Infection:
- Infection can occur at the site of the surgery, but this can usually be prevented with proper care.
- The Shang Ring method has the lowest risk of infection. It occurs at less than 1%.
Pain:
- It is common to experience some pain/discomfort after the procedure, but this can usually be managed with pain killers.
- At Circumcision Vasectomy Australia we aim to minimise the discomfort you may experience by giving you the best pain management plan.
Child and teenage circumcision
Aftercare
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Shang Ring Method
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Stitches Method
When to come to the clinic or call your doctor:
- If you notice bleeding from around the Shang Ring or from the wound after the circumcision or the Shang Ring removal.
- If you experience difficulty passing urine.
- If you experience seriously painful swelling, increasing redness, bruising, fever or discharge/appearance of pus.
- If the Shang Ring is damaged or comes off accidentally (partially or completely)
After removing the Shang Ring:
- If you develop increased pain, swelling or redness please contact our clinic.
- Expect the complete healing of the wound to take 6-8 weeks
- After the operation rest at home for 2 days.
- Keep the dressing in place for a minimum of 1 week.
- Keep the wound and dressing dry during this period.
- You may shower after 48 hours but keep the wound dry.
- Ensure you wear clean well fitted underwear. Make sure the penis is upright to minimise swelling.
- Your stitches will fall off in 1-2 weeks.
- Do not have sex or masturbate for 6 weeks.
- If you have pain post circumcision, you may use the medications prescribed to you.
- It is normal to have painful erections whilst recovering. You may ask your pharmacist for pseudoephedrine or phenylephrine tablets to minimise night time erections. This should only be taken at night and only suitable for adults.
- If you develop increased pain, swelling or redness please contact our clinic. We expect you to have increased swelling over the first 3 days.
- Expect to have some droplets of blood around the wound on the first day. If your dressing is soaked in blood please ring our on call number.
- If you experience seriously painful swelling, increasing redness, bruising, fever or discharge/appearance of pus please call our on call number.
- A follow up appointment is important. This will be scheduled 6 weeks from your procedure.
Still have questions?
Frequently asked questions
What is male circumcision?
Male circumcision is the removal of excess skin that covers the head of the penis. It is estimated that three billion males are circumcised globally. Male circumcision is performed for three main reasons: medical, religious and as a preventative health measure.
Who should have male circumcision?
This is a very personal question and can only be answered by an individual. The decision should be made by the man who is having the circumcision or the parent of the child. The decision should be based on evidence based information, personal preference, religious and cultural beliefs.
What is the best age to have a circumcision?
This is a very personal question. Generally the younger the child the lower the risk of complications.
However, it is perfectly reasonable to elect to have your son circumcised at an older age.
What do I bring on the day of circumcision?
Vaseline and Nummit cream.
Will my son feel any pain?
We complete our circumcisions with a dorsal penile nerve block. This essentially puts the pain nerve fibres to sleep for up to 12 hours ensuring your son feels no pain during the circumcision.
Your son will experience minimal discomfort when we inject the penile nerve fibres with local anaesthetic.
How do I care for the wound?
Care for the wound is simple. Our doctors will run you through aftercare after your son’s circumcision.
In addition to this, we provide all our patients access to our 24 hour hotline to address any concerns you have about your son’s circumcision.
How long does a circumcision procedure take?
The consultation takes 10 minutes.
The penile nerve block takes 10 minutes.
The circumcision procedure takes 10 minutes.
We will keep you an additional 10 minutes post circumcision to ensure your child is happy and comfortable.
In total, expect to be with us at least 45 minutes.
Do I need a referral?
No referral required.
